2021 Cowboys Free Agency Thread...

[armadillooutlaw]

I would keep Awuzie and let Lewis walk. But it will probably end up the other way around.

Meh, neither is great but Lewis is better in coverage/better tackler.
Awuzie has a height advantage but not much else.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

Meh, neither is great but Lewis is better in coverage/better tackler.
Awuzie has a height advantage but not much else.

I like Lewis in the slot. It's where you blitz from, he is a good tackler and physical for being so small. Not so high on Chido or Brown in the slot.

 

[ravidubey]

I agree, and with Diggs on the other side it should be good enough.

Right, it at least gets us to where we are not desperate for a CB beyond reason.

Seriously though the only things that might dissuade Jerry from drafting a CB would be:

1) QB; either as part of a trade down with a QB needy team or if Dak and the Cowboys really are irreconcilably far apart.

2) DE; should one rise through the combine/predraft process. This is the other position Jerry covets above all others.

3) Nothing.

 

[mcnuttz]

Right, it at least gets us to where we are not desperate for a CB beyond reason.

Seriously though the only things that might dissuade Jerry from drafting a CB would be:

1) QB; either as part of a trade down with a QB needy team or if Dak and the Cowboys really are irreconcilably far apart.

2) DE; should one rise through the combine/predraft process. This is the other position Jerry covets above all others.

3) Nothing.

DT, S, and LB are so much bigger needs on the defense.

Can only hope they have a 2011-like turnaround when decided to prioritize OL and took Tyron.

Make that D-Line great again!

 

[armadillooutlaw]

I like Lewis in the slot. It's where you blitz from, he is a good tackler and physical for being so small. Not so high on Chido or Brown in the slot.

He's good enough to be one of DAL best three corners, not great but definitely solid.
Frankly, just give me CBs that are solid and aren't breaking the bank and worry more about getting pressure on the QB and stopping the run and should have a good defense again.

 

[boozeman]

DT, S, and LB are so much bigger needs on the defense.

Can only hope they have a 2011-like turnaround when decided to prioritize OL and took Tyron.

Make that D-Line great again!

Look at Tampa. Invested a premium pick on Vea and spent free agent money for the other three spots. Their corners are not first rounders.

Of course their defense is look at all the picks spent on Gregory, Hill, Gallimore blah blah blah.

 

[ravidubey]

Look at Tampa. Invested a premium pick on Vea and spent free agent money for the other three spots. Their corners are not first rounders.

Of course their defense is look at all the picks spent on Gregory, Hill, Gallimore blah blah blah.

Jerry loves the flashy positions.

Drafting a Vea who might take most of a year to get going or signing Tomlinson to big money would never occur to him. He'd look at their sack stats, frown, claim he "evaluated" them, and move on to a CB he could draft and maybe start week 1.

If Jerry ever went after a top tier FA, it would only be a DE or CB. The closest he came to a big money defensive FA was Brandon Carr, Greg Hardy, (almost) Nnamdi Asomugha, and (of course) Deion.

That Dallas actually signed La'Roi Glover was something of a minor miracle, really (I think the sack stats won Jerry over).

 

[boozeman]

From PFF article identifying team fits for the FA Safeties:

S MARCUS WILLIAMS, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
PFF free agent rank: 15
Like Harris in Minnesota, the cap situation could make it difficult for New Orleans to bring Williams back this offseason. That means one of the more talented young safeties in the NFL is likely to hit the open market.

Williams doesn’t get enough credit for how well he has played to open his career. The first thing many think of is the play he didn’t make as a rookie against Stefon Diggs in the playoffs, but the good far outweighs that one (very visible) blunder. Since entering the league in 2017, his 91.2 PFF grade ranks fourth among all qualifying safeties behind only Harrison Smith, Adrian Amos and Earl Thomas. Williams has been that good.

Any team looking to add Williams in free agency will be getting an upgrade at free safety, whether that be in single-high or split-field safety coverages. The former Utah Ute has played over 1,500 defensive snaps in both single-high and two-high coverage shells since entering the NFL, and he has earned overall grades above 85.0 in each. Scheme fit shouldn’t be a barrier to any team signing Williams.

The Dallas Cowboys' new defense under Dan Quinn looks particularly appealing for Williams’ skill set. Williams’ 23 combined pass breakups and interceptions over the last four seasons are a top-15 mark at the safety position, and he’s a big reason why the Saints have allowed a passer rating of just 79.3 to opposing quarterbacks on passes thrown 20 or more yards downfield since 2017 (seventh in NFL).

Williams brings the kind of range and coverage ability needed at the free safety position in Quinn’s defense that should feature plenty of Cover 1 and Cover 3. Cowboys fans have been clamoring for a high-profile free agent acquisition for years at this point. Williams would qualify as that.

Team fit: Dallas Cowboys

 

[p1_]

From PFF article identifying team fits for the FA Safeties:

S MARCUS WILLIAMS, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
PFF free agent rank: 15
Like Harris in Minnesota, the cap situation could make it difficult for New Orleans to bring Williams back this offseason. That means one of the more talented young safeties in the NFL is likely to hit the open market.

Williams doesn’t get enough credit for how well he has played to open his career. The first thing many think of is the play he didn’t make as a rookie against Stefon Diggs in the playoffs, but the good far outweighs that one (very visible) blunder. Since entering the league in 2017, his 91.2 PFF grade ranks fourth among all qualifying safeties behind only Harrison Smith, Adrian Amos and Earl Thomas. Williams has been that good.

Any team looking to add Williams in free agency will be getting an upgrade at free safety, whether that be in single-high or split-field safety coverages. The former Utah Ute has played over 1,500 defensive snaps in both single-high and two-high coverage shells since entering the NFL, and he has earned overall grades above 85.0 in each. Scheme fit shouldn’t be a barrier to any team signing Williams.

The Dallas Cowboys' new defense under Dan Quinn looks particularly appealing for Williams’ skill set. Williams’ 23 combined pass breakups and interceptions over the last four seasons are a top-15 mark at the safety position, and he’s a big reason why the Saints have allowed a passer rating of just 79.3 to opposing quarterbacks on passes thrown 20 or more yards downfield since 2017 (seventh in NFL).

Williams brings the kind of range and coverage ability needed at the free safety position in Quinn’s defense that should feature plenty of Cover 1 and Cover 3. Cowboys fans have been clamoring for a high-profile free agent acquisition for years at this point. Williams would qualify as that.

Team fit: Dallas Cowboys

sign me up

 

[Simpleton]

No shit, I've been saying they need to sign Williams for like 3 months, too bad it'll never happen even though the Saints are cap strapped and he could definitely hit the market.

John Johnson or Marcus Maybe would be nice also, but also not happening.

A secondary of Williams/Wilson/Diggs/Brown and a draft pick at CB, especially if a 1st or 2nd, might actually be a pretty decent (even if watered down) imitation of the LOB.

 

[p1_]

Ok, so it appears there's a JJ Watt on the market. What say you? Dontari Poe redux?

 

[armadillooutlaw]

Ok, so it appears there's a JJ Watt on the market. What say you? Dontari Poe redux?

He's not a nose tackle by any stretch, but he would be a tempting signing.

 

[bbgun]

Who needs Watt when you have Armstrong?

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Ok, so it appears there's a JJ Watt on the market. What say you? Dontari Poe redux?

At least he'd play hard, so that makes him different from Poe.

But I'm not sure how much Watt has left. Who watches the Texans?

 

[Cowboysrock55]

At least he'd play hard, so that makes him different from Poe.

But I'm not sure how much Watt has left. Who watches the Texans?

He gets hurt a lot.

 

[boozeman]

Who needs Watt when you have Armstrong?

I bet you forgot that Armstrong plays STs and Watt doesn't.

Whaddaya say now, smart guy?

 

[data]

I bet you forgot that Armstrong plays STs and Watt doesn't.

Whaddaya say now, smart guy?

Biggest obstacle is I don’t see Watt agreeing to a work ethic pledge

 

[p1_]

 

[Genghis Khan]

Ok, so it appears there's a JJ Watt on the market. What say you? Dontari Poe redux?

I don't see any reason not to at least try unless he's trying to break the bank.

Poe doesn't have anything to do with this. Even in his dreams he was never in the same zip code as Watt.

 

[Genghis Khan]

I don't think this is even about Armstrong though. This is more about Aldon Smith to me. And I'd take Watt over bringing back Aldon.